Telemetric apparatus



July 29, 1947. I. o. MINER TELEMETRIC APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l F I a 1 INVENTOR new/v0 a JIM 6 BY 8.6. m ATTORNEY I. O. MINER TELEMETRIC APPARATUS July 29, 1947.

Filed June 19, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u. EN 1 Eg a w R n E c W 2 B Patented July 29,- 1941 TELEMETRIC APPARATUS Irving 0. Miner, East Providence, 3. 1., assign to Builders Iron Foundry, Providence, 3. 1., a

orporation of Rhode Island Application June 1a, 1944, Serial No. 540,978 1 Claims. (Cl. 171-119) This invention relates to the telemeteri'ng of variations in value of a variable magnitude. An object is the provisionof a novel and effective telemetering system involving relatively few parts, simple and inexpensive in construction, and highly reliable in operation.

The invention also provides a novel and advantageous transmitter adapted for use in such a system.

Other features and advantages or the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are wiring diagrams illustrating different embodiments of my telemetric system.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section of a telemetric transmitter embodying my invention.

Figs. 6 and 'l are views of details of the transmitter.

Referring to Fig. 1, the transmitter A comprises a primary winding I and three secondary windings 2, I, and l. The primary winding is connected to a suitable source of alternating current.

Each of the secondary windings is electrically connected, as shown, to a corresponding one of a plurality of secondary windings U. 6, and 1 of a receiver B. The latter includes an armature I rotatable within the magnetic fleld of the windings I, I, and I, said armature comprising a winding connected either to the same current source as that to which the transmitter winding I is connected, or to another alternating current source of the same frequency. The receiver is of known type and no novelty is claimed for said receiver per se.

The transmitter is shown in Fig. 5 as comprising a cylindrical body portion I0 of any suitable material which is non-magnetic and electrically non-conductive. Bakelite or other plastic material may. for example, be employed. Upper and lower circumferential flanges II," may be provided, projecting outwardly from said body portion Iii. Fitted within the lower end of said body portion is a suitable plug if of the same material as said body portion. The top end of the body portion iii may comprise a, similar plug or may be formed as an integral part of thebody portion, as shown.

Pressed firmly against the upper and lower flanges II, If, and surrounding said body portion II throughout its entire length is a metallic sleeve ll. Said sleeve is of electro-magnet steel, or any other suitable material of high magnetic permeability, high electrical resistance, and low 2 eddy-current and hysteresislosses. Silicon steel is well known as a material having those properties.

Within the space between the sleeve I4 and body portion III are the primary and secondary windings of the transmitter, each of said windings being. of course, suitably-insulated from the other. Preferably the secondary windings are located nearest the shell I4, while the primary winding is positioned between said secondary windings and the body portion III.

Within the interior of the body portion I 0 is an element I5, which is movable to positions correspending to variations in value of a variable magnitude. such as pressure, temperature, liquid level, rate of flow, or the like. In the present embodiment the element It is shown as a fleet movable with variations in level of a liquid I8, in which the transmitter casing is placed and which may enter the interior of the body portion II) through an. opening II in the plug I3. The liquid may, for example, be that in any storage tank, or it may be a liquid in a fluid-pressure manometer, in which case the variations in level correspond to variations in a fluid pressure to be measured.

or course, the element I! need not be a float, but may simply be an element connected to anything which moves it inside the windings to pcsitions corresponding to values of any variable magnitude. For example, said element might be connected to the stem of a gate valve to telemeter the position of the gate to show at a distant point the extent to which the gate is open.

As shown in Figs. 8 and "I, the element I! may comprise a tubular shell I6 closed at one end and formed of a plastic or other suitable nonmagnetic and non-conducting material. The lower end of said shell has lugs II projecting outwardly therefrom.

Surrounding the shell I! is a sleeve I8 of electro-magnet steel. Said sleeve has notches, such as indicated at ii, in its lower end for fltting over the lugs II on the shell II. The sleeve i8 extends upwardLv beyond the shell I! and receives in its upper end a suitable cap or closure 20 of material of the same type as that of said shell I 6. Said cap 20 includes an upperoutwardly projecting flange adapted to fit within the top edge of the sleeve II and having thereon outwardly extending lugs II which fit into corresponding notches in said sleeve.

The length of the'space within the transmitter body portion I0 is sufllclent to extend from the highest to the lowest elevation of liquid level to be transmitted, plus the length of the float II.

In operation, the float II is positioned within the transmitter by the height of the liquid Ii. Current in the primary winding produces a magnetic field, which in turn induces currents in each of the secondary windings of the transmitter, under the influence of the float ii. The concentration of flux produced by the primary winding in the region near the float sleeve I8 is greater than at other parts of the transmitter; and the portions of the secondary windings through which this flux concentration passes depend upon the position of said float. In other words, the float directs magnetic flux derived from the primary winding upon different portions of the secondary windings, determined by the elevation of the float and thus by the level of the liquid ii. For each position of the float the combination of voltages induced in the secondary windings is difl'erent from the voltage combinations induced in said windings in all other positions of said float. These voltages are impressed upon the coils of the receiver and produce a magnetic field having a definite angular position for each position of the float. The receiver armature B assumes the angular position of said field and indicates its direction and therefore the float position. Said armature may carry any suitable recorder or indicator, such as a pointer 8. I

The production of the desired changes in voltage may be obtained by providing each secondary coil with oppositely wound portions interconnected at points displaced with respect to corresponding points on the other secondary coils. For example, the coil 2 is shown comprising portions 2 and 2", wound oppositely to portion 2", said portions being connected at points 23, 24, which may be termed reversal points. Likewisemoils 3 and 4 are each shown as comprising oppositely wound oortions interconnected at certain reversal points. The reversal points of each coil are displaced with respect to those of the other coils.

It will be seen that the voltage induced in each secondary coil by the flux applied through the float i5 varies from zero (when the float is opposite a reversal point in the coil) to plus or minus a maximum (when the float is opposite a point midway between two reversal points). By displacing the reversal points of each coil with respect to those of the others, different voltages are produced in said coils, and hence in the receiver coils, so that said receiver coils produce a magnetic field having a definite angular position for each position of the float.

In any case the voltage produced in any one secondary coil is E. M. F.=K IN 10- where f=frequency of alternations (a constant for any one installation) N=number of secondary turns out by the flux. When the acting part of a secondary coil has oppositely wound portions, N is the algebraic number of turns out by the flux (i. e., the number of turns in one direction cut by said flux less the number of turns in the opposite direction concurrently cut by said flux).

=number of magnetic lines of force that cut turns total useful flux K=a constant depending on wave form (4.44 for a sine wave) In Fig. 2 I have shown the same transmitter and receiver as in Hg. 1, but the connections or the secondary circuits are such that three wires suffice for transmission.

In cases where the full extent of travel of the float is utilized for the transmission of liquid level values, it is advantageous to provide each of the transmitter secondary coils with additional short coils adjacent each end, such as shown at 2a, and 2b in connection with coil 2, 3a. and lb in connection with coil 3, and la and 4b in con- Junction with coil 4. When the float is moved to either end of the transmitter tube ll, some of the flux passes through the air beyond the secondary coils, so that less flux passes therethrough than when the float is in intermediate positions.

The extra turns 2a, 2b, etc., take the place of turns which are missing beyond the ends of the physical length of the secondary coils, and through them full voltage is maintained in said secondaries, even when the float is at either end of its travel.

In lieu of said additional short coils, the turns at the ends of the secondary coils may be more closely spaced than in the intermediate portions of said secondaries.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a transmitter A and receiver B of two-phase type. The transmitter has only two secondary coils 2 and I, connected electrically to two secondary coils 5 and t in the receiver B. In addition to having oppositely wound portions, each secondary coil of the transmitter has varying spacing of its turns in said portions. Said turns are shown as progressively varying in number per unit length of each coil portion from each reversal point. Through this variation in turn spacing there is obtained in each secondary coil a voltage having a sine relation to the float positions; i. e., a voltage which follows a sine curve with varying positions of the float.

Also, in Fig. 3, solid bands II and II of copper or similar material are applied to opposite ends of one of the transmitter windings. They may be positioned at opposite ends or the primary coil, if desired, though I prefer positioning then at each end of the transmitter between the secondary windings and the sleeve I4. I have accordingly shown them diagrammatically in Pig. 3 as surrounding the opposite ends of the secondary winding 3, assuming the latter to surround the windings I and 2. These bands are found advantageous in insuring stability of phase relation when the float is positioned near either end 01' the transmitter. When the full length of travel or the float is to be utilized, said bands insure that the alternations from the transmitter to the stator winding of the receiver are in phase with the alternations in the rotor winding of the receiver, Just as they are without compensation when the float is between the ends of the transmitter. Copper bands, each about one inch wide, have been found suitable when the total ength or the primary winding is about two feet.

In Fig. 4 I have shown another embodiment,

employing a two-phase transmitter and receiver.'

In this embodiment, the primary coll i oi the transmitter A is energized from the receiver over an extra wire 32 and the common secondary wire II. Also, the secondary windings oi the transmitter have spaces 34, ll, 8'. and 8'' approximately equal to the length of the float at the reversal points.

The terms and expressions which I have em- Plwedareused'aetemsotdesa'iptio andnot oi limitation, and I have no intention, in the use oi such terms and expressions, oi excluding any equivalents oi the ieatures shown and described or portions thereoi, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope oi the invention claimed.

1 claim:

1. A telemetric transmitter comprising a primary winding, a plurality of secondary windings each comprising portions wound in opposite directions and each having its points of reversal displaced with respect to those oi the other, a shell of material substantially permeable to magnetic flux surrounding said primary and secondary windings, and an element oi material substantially permeable to magnetic flux surrounded by said windings and movable in response to variations in avariable magnitude ior directing flux from said primary winding to portions of said secondary windings.

2. A liquid level transmitter comprising a primary winding. a plurality oi secondary windings each comprising portions wound in opposite directions and each having its points oi reversal displaced with respect to those of the other, a shell oi material substantiall permeable to magnetic flux surrounding said primary winding and a hollow float body movable within said secondary windings in response to changes oi liquid level, said float body comprising material substantially permeable to the passage oi magnetic ilux ior directing said flux to diiierent portions or said secondary windings in accordance with diiierent positions oi said float.

3. A telemetric transmitter comprising a primary winding. a plurality oi secondary windings, and means responsive to variations in a variable magnitude for correspondingly varying the transmission oi flux irom said primary winding to said secondary windings, and metallic bands adjacent opposite ends oi certain oi said 4. A telemetric transmitter comprising a primary winding, a plurality oi secondary windings, and an element movable in response to variations in a variable magnitude for directing flux irom said primary winding to diiierent portions oi said secondary windingsand bends oi non-magnetic metal adjacent opposite ends oi certain oi said windings. I

5. A telemetric transmitter comprising a primary winding. a plurality oi secondary windings each having a diiierent number oi turns per unit length in one portion than in another portion. and an element movable in response to variations in a variable magnitude for directing flux from said primary winding to diiierent portions oi said secondary windings.

6. A telemetric transmitter comprising a primary winding, a plurality of secondary windings each comprising portions wound in opposite directions and each having its points oi reversal displaced with respect to those oi the other, and an element movable in response to variations in a variable magnitude for directing flux iroin said primary windings to portions oi said secondary windings, each oi said secondary windings having its turns variably spaced.

7. A telemetric transmitter comprising a primary winding, a plurality of secondary windings each comprising portions wound in opposite directions and each having its points of reversal displaced with respect to those oi the other, and an element movable in response to variations in a variable magnitude for directing flux from said primary windings to portions oi said secondary windings, the oppositely wound portions being spaced from each other by a distance approximately equal to the length oi said element.

IRVING O. MINER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 2,354,365 Crossley July 25, 1944 2,310,955 Hornieck Feb. 16, 1943 2,050,446 Meyer Aug. 11, 1936 2,050,629 Quereau Aug. 11, 1938 2,357,745 Kliever Sept. 5, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 555,042 Germany July 19, 1932 692,455 Germany June 20, 1940 

